Deidre, Idris and Kevin are among the names that potential storms will be called during the 2018/19 winter.

The Met Office has assigned a name to 23 letters of the alphabet.

Q, U, X, Y and Z are not included on the list, but hopefully not all 23 names will be used anyway.

If we get past the first few letters we'll all be willing the heatwave to make a return.

This season’s names have once again been compiled from a list of suggestions submitted by the public, choosing some of the most popular names but also selecting names that reflect the nations, culture and diversity of Britain and Ireland, Birmingham Live reports .

Why do we name storms?

The idea to name storms was first introduced in 2015 and aims to raise awareness of severe weather before it hits.

This way people can prepare themselves, their families, homes and businesses.

This year the first storm will be ‘male’ and named Ali, while the second storm will be ‘female’ and named Bronagh, following the alternating male/female pattern established by the US National Hurricane Center in the 1970’s.

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Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann who teamed up with the Met Office to name the storms, said: “The last 12 months have seen some extreme weather around the Globe as well as here at home.

"While it is too early to say whether the coming winter will be a stormy one or a quiet one we are prepared with a whole new set of 21 names for whatever nature may throw at us."

Storm naming happens to help the public prepare for severe weather. (Image: Getty Images.)

This season’s names have once again been compiled from a list of suggestions submitted by the public, choosing some of the most popular names but also selecting names that reflect the nations, culture and diversity of Britain and Ireland.

In a recent YouGov survey, almost 80% of people questioned found giving storms a name useful for making them aware that the storm may have greater impacts than normal, with 63% agreeing that storm naming was useful to let them know to take action and prepare for the impacts of severe weather.

When is a storm named?

A storm will be named on the basis of 'medium' or 'high' potential impacts from wind but also include the potential impacts of rain and snow.